Water Chemistry

The TRAIL Lab utilizes three different systems to examine water chemistry depending on researchers needs.

Trace and ultra-trace element analysis is carried out with our Thermo ICap q quadrapole ICP-MS. We have several standard element suites that include REE’s, transition and toxic elements. Levels of detection range from 15 ppb to 0.1 ppb depending on the element of interest.  Samples and standards should be prepared in the 10-100 ppb range for analysis.  Sample should be prepared in 15 ml centrifuge tubes.  The samples should be preserved with 2% trace grade Nitric acid.  0.25% HCl may be used to stabilize some elements.  Sample need to filtered and contain less than 2% Total Dissolved Solids.

Major cation and anion suites (Ca, Na, Mg, K, Li, NH4) and (F, Cl, NO3, SO4, PO4) are measured using our ICS-6000 ion chromatography system.  Samples should be filtered and prepared in 1.8 ml plastic GC type vials.  Samples need to be filtered to 0.45uM prior to analysis.

Carbon species and total nitrogen are measured on our Shimadzu TOC/TN analyzer. The system is capable of measuring Dissolved inorganic Carbon, Dissolved Organic Carbon, Total Carbon and Total nitrogen, depending on research needs.  The system requires about 10 ml of sample per analysis.  The Autosampler use 23 ml vials.  Samples should be filtered to 0.45uM for dissolved species analysis.